D-Day was "like hell" for Eric Buckley, 89, of Thurmaston, who served with the Royal Navy.
Aged 17, he lied about his age to join up. "I felt it was something I had to do as we had to win the war," he said.
"I knew in 12 months I would get call up papers for the Army, but my brother ended up in a prisoner of war camp after joining the Army and I didn't want to follow in his footsteps."
As an engineer on a motor torpedo boat (MTB), Eric's role was to help the landing craft if they got stuck.
He said: "D-Day was like hell. When we were approaching Sword Beach the Germans started shelling us.
"Nearby boats were being blown up and the back of our ship got hit.
"When a naval officer ordered us to leave the boat and come on to the beach,I saw two marines in front who had been cut to pieces."
Two of his friends – one just 18 – were killed on a nearby vessel.
Eric and his comrades stayed on Sword Beach for six weeks, listening to the shelling and thinking "it's our turn next".
Today, he was due to attend a Royal British Legion and Normandy Veterans Association service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral, followed by an event at Bayeux Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Cemetery.
After leaving the Navy at the end of the war, Eric – a widower with three grown-up children – joined the Royal British Legion. He has been a member since.
He sells poppies every year and raised more than £8,500 for the Legion in 2013.
Eric is featured in the D-Day Dozen Commemorative Medal Collection, a percentage of the sales from which will go to the Royal British Legion.
http://theddaydozen.co.uk
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